Perfect
by RiskyRosie
Summary: He's new, and I'm ready for something fresh. Sometimes, fantasy turns into reality. And I've had a fantasy about Eli Goldsworthy.
1. Misplaced Secretarys

Hello, readers! Thank you for clicking. Just to let everyone know, this story doesn't go out with a bang, and there's no sex. There if foul language, and there's a couple of explicit moments. This isn't exactly compliant with the new promotional video. I'm sure I've made a bunch of grammer mistakes, and I'm sorry about them. I've only completed the 8th grade.

Perfect.

"Four new kids in one day? Really?" I said with a skeptic look as Alli and I looked over the new enrolment lists. One of the perks of taking advanced classes is that we get to run the school office for a credit toward graduation. I don't know about other people, but Alli and I would rather be sitting in a cool, air conditioned room, making intelligent conversation instead of running around wearing little short shorts in the hot sun. "Degrassi hasn't grown in forever."

Even though today is only our third day back, I already feel like I'm at home. Here, there isn't a harking mom. Here, I'm not cramped up in a little bedroom because I'm not allowed to go anywhere else. It feels more like home than my house is, and the school office is no different.

"Well, in Degrassi's defense, two of them are in the same family, and one of the others is coming from a boarding school. Their parent's already lived here. That's not a lot of people over an entire summer."

"How did you know all that?" Alli has her ways. And about forty-four of them are immoral. Six of them are illegal, and eighteen of them would make me blush.

"I read their transcripts." Now I know three of the illegal ways to get information.

"That's illegal." I said, but I know she doesn't care. She has a careful disregard for anything legal. I hope she never gets arrested. Alli wouldn't do well in prison. She'd end up someone's bitch. Some people are just too pretty for a place full of needy, sexually deprived miscreants. There should be a special prison for people who are very pretty and straight as the tip of Space Needle.

"I don't care." I know Alli. Everyone knows. You're like that old man always sitting on the Wal-Mart bench. You know everyone.

"Truth be told, I don't either. Just don't get yourself expelled."

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to get trapped here with Jenna. Here, in the stony lonesome with her obnoxious voice cheering on her slimy boyfriend." Jenna is a total ass, but I can't blame her. If I were in her place, I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing. Hell, I nearly made out with Declan. (Of whom I would still go on a date with. I'm sorry, but that charm of his is nearly irresistible, and I still don't like Holly J. She's just too . . . busy all the time.)

"Jenna isn't that bad. She's just . . . weak-willed. K.C. is the same way." That much was true. K.C. has never been one to resist temptation.

"I say they're a couple of bitches. There are some things that you just don't do to your friends." Alli keeps forgetting that K.C. used to be my boyfriend. I know she doesn't mean it, though. K.C. used to be her friend too; she has just lost sight of that friendship. I don't thing trying to tell her would be the right thing to do. (Alli can be scary.) After the cheating fiasco we had last year, I'm not on speaking terms with him, but I'd still give him a kidney if he needed it.

"You think that every couple is a couple of bitches. Give people a chance. They might surprise you." I have a policy. Treat everyone like family until I have a reason not to. It hurts me sometimes, but when everything works out, there's nothing better than being surrounded by friends at the end of the day.

"I'm not nice like you."

"Sure you are, you just don't want to admit it." She rolled her eyes and went back to her magazine. I know Alli is one of the nicest people ever. Earn her trust, and you've got a buddy for life. Cross her, and you'll have hell to pay.

Then, four people walked into the office. Good, Work. "We need our schedules. We're new." Said a woman. She had pretty curly hair. The woman reminds me of someone I know, but I don't know who. I suppose little things like that just slip my mind.

"Did you guys form a commission or something?" Asked Alli from her magazine. Then she looked up, and was spellbound by something. So much so, that she put down her reading material. I can't even make her do that.

"No. Just convent circumstances." She replied with a smile. She looked sweet, but looks can be deceiving. I shouldn't doubt people so easily, but just because I treat people well doesn't mean I have to like them.

"Names?" I said, pushing my glasses up. Got to see everything when you messing with other people's high school careers. I went behind the desk.

Alli thinks she's too stylish to sit behind an office desk. I can't really disagree with her, and besides, if she worked the desk, we would never find anything. Alli's not lazy by any means, but she's . . . lackadaisical at times. I suppose I am too, but not when it comes to other peoples stuff.

"You get right down to business, don't you?" said one of the boys in jest. He had shorter, black hair. He was medium sized, but he looked to be really strong. The smile on his face lit up the room, and I couldn't help but smile back. He looks a lot like the older, curly haired girl in the face.

"Yessir." I replied.

"Why did you just call me 'sir'?" He had a deep, adult voice.

"Because you never told me your name. What else am I supposed to call you?" I said jokingly.

"Drew. Call me Drew." I nodded my head and went through the unclaimed schedule papers and found 'Drew'.

"Grade eleven?" He had a mismatched schedule. One period he took a tenth grade class, and another period he had senior history. Got to make sure I'm not sending a ninth grader to eleventh grade trigonometry.

"Mostly. How 'bout you?" He said. Is this boy trying to make conversation with me? Oh well, to bad for him. I'd love to sit and talk to Mr. Handsome over here for hours on end, but I a job to do. (I wish I didn't. This guy is one hunk of man meat.)

"Ten. Here's your schedule. What's the deal with the jacked up courses?" I handed it to him.

"This school and my old school don't do things in the same order."

"Alli?" I said.

"Yeah . . ." she said dreamily. I suppose I'm about to do her a favor, seeing as how she's staring at Drew like he is a Greek god.

"Can you take him to his class, please?" Alli nodded and almost skipped as she followed Drew out of the little office. I looked up at the girl with curly hair. "And your name is . . ."

"Bianca."

"That's a pretty name. Is it French?"

"I don't know, it kind of sounds French." She smiled. I suppose she likes France. I handed her the paper.

"Good luck in English. Mrs. Kwan is a killer. Do you need someone to help you find your classroom?"

"No, I can handle myself. A senior has too, I suppose."

"If you need any help, just come back here." She walked off. Two down, one to go. The next one was dressed like a boy, and I suppose he was. There is something . . . effeminate about his face, but some people just have baby faces.

"What's your name?" He asked _me._ That's nice.

"Clare. And you?"

"Adam."

"Well, Adam," I shuffled through the papers. I couldn't find anything. "I can't find your paper . . ."

"I'm sorry. I lost it."

"That makes sense I did the same thing my first day in high school." I decided not to include the fact that I could remember witch classes I took anyway, so it didn't matter. (I still remember.) "What grade are you in?"

"Ninth."

"Do you have any special needs?" He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then replied.

"No."

"Are you in the gifted program?"

"No."

"You should be taking science first. It's down the hall and to the left." I pointed out of the window and at the science room. "You can just ask whoever is there where you go next."

"Thank you." He said. That's a nice boy. I watched him walk down the hall until he disappeared behind a door. Done. Now, without Alli, I can go back to the book I'm reading. (She would laugh at me all day if she knew I'm reading another _romance_ novel.) There's this man, and he goes to Georgia to find his true love (He met her on vacation . . . in Mexico . . . while he was drunk.) whose name is, ironically, Georgia. Once he finds her he learns that-

"I'm Eli. Eli Goldsworthy." I nearly jumped out of my skin and slammed my book shut. "Sorry. Didn't men to scare you." I hadn't noticed him because he was sitting. However, I don't know how I could have possibly missed him. He's one tall drink of water. His dark hair hung around his face and his long, white fingers loosely gripped around the cheap, pressed wood armrest of the chair. Eli's eyes were green, like a couple of emeralds.


	2. Baseball and Boys

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Do you need your schedule?" I was almost dumbfounded by his handsomeness. I mean, he wasn't _perfect_, but he was really cute. Perfect is too overrated. (Chiefly because I'm nowhere near perfect. If I had a two mile pole, I couldn't even stab perfect.)

"Yes. But not yet. Aren't you a bit young to be working?" He asked. "You look like you'd be in my grade."

"What grade are you in?"

"Tenth." I may be the luckiest girl in the world.

"Then, I am in your grade. They let the students run the office around here."

"You guys are trusted. I mean, there's money, and unsavory information going through the front office." If silk had a sound, it would be exactly like his voice. It reminded me of the sound of rustling sheets. I have no idea why.

"It's only a few of us, and only for a period." He had a point though, if one, just one person broke the trust Mr. Simpson is giving us, it might mess up everything. One little mistake can cost about fourteen people a credit.

"Still, it's a big responsibility." I suppose he's right. "I don't think I could handle it."

"What do you mean?" Eli stood up and started to walk around the room. He picked up a baseball from a table and rolled around in his hand. Where in the Hell did the baseball come from?

"I'm not the best with . . ." he threw the ball in the air. "Things of a responsible nature." Eli caught it and went back to rolling it in his hands. He looked at me. My heart started to beat faster. Those emeralds just make me want to melt. Melt into his arms and let those long fingers lead me to a set of red silk sheets and- oh gosh, I'm letting my imagination run away with me again. Think of something else.

"So . . . do you like baseball?" I asked. That's not much of a change, I'm still thinking about his fingers around something. At least it's not my hair or . . . other things.

He _did _have a baseball in his hands, and he looked like he knew his way around it. He kept rolling it in his hand, and stopping with his fingers on a certain seam, or little spot on the ball.

"Yeah. I was the former-"

"Let me guess, pitcher?" He smiled at me.

"How did you know?"

"You look like you know what you're doing." I pointed to the baseball in his long, white . . . (ugh . . . must . . . stop . . . imagining.) with my pen. He pulled up a chair and sat across the desk from me. Eli laid one of his hands on the dark wood desk and laid his chin on it. He kept fingering –_giggle_- the ball with his other hand. Eli looks like a tired kid, lying on my desk like that, but his face is mature and he has an energetic smile. Now, I can see the little blemishes on his under his eyes and around his nose, but, for some reason, it just makes him cuter, younger, almost.

"You like baseball?" He asked. I nodded.

"It's the only sport that I understand fully. Alli's brother plays football, and I go to just about every game with her, but I still don't get any of it." He laughed.

"We are one in the same. My father is a bit fanatical. He keeps trying to tell me the rules of the game, but it makes absolutely no sense, but then again, there's not much he says that I really understand."

"Our parents should be friends. I don't get them either." I said, but Eli wasn't paying attention. He was staring me in the eyes.

"You're _really _. . . pretty." He almost whispered. Slowly, he started to reach across the desk. I mirrored his actions. I haven't held anyone's hand since I was with K.C. In fact, I haven't even been on a date.

Just as our fingers were about to intertwine. So close, so close. It's like I'm a drug addict. The tips of his fingers are my heroine. His touch my drug. Just a few more millimeters and . . .

Alli stomped in and ruined it all. Alli can be such a bitch sometimes. Upon seeing Alli's apparent anger, Eli jumped back into his seat. Alli went to her normal sitting spot, only to find that her chair wasn't there. She stared Eli down.

"What the Hell are you still doing here? Get to class!" She spat out. I quickly found his paper. As fast as I could, I wrote '-lunch?-'on the bottom and handed it to him. Eli smiled, handed me the baseball, (It was still warm from his hand. That residual heat was like the little white dust left after a wind-Alli- had come and blew my cocaine away.) He nodded his head. His dark hair moved with him, as if it were light as air. Then, he was gone before you could say 'Eli Goldsworthy is hot.' He's fast.

"What's got your goat?" I asked, noticeably annoyed. If she wasn't so angry, she may have noticed I was having a moment and waited behind the door for a minute. This better be good.

"Chantay Black. She was straight up flirting with Drew! One moment, I was walking him down the hall, and the next, Chantay is all over him. I thought she has a boyfriend anyway." Alli sat down and huffed. I feel kind of sorry for her, but (I know it's spiteful, but I don't care) I'm happy she was upstaged. She finally got a dose of her own medicine. She does the same thing sometimes, and Alli's notorious for those 'Bhandari' moments where she barges in at the wrong time. It's not really her fault that she has bad timing, but it still sucks.

"She did, but they may have broken up."

"I don't care. It's still rude." She sighed. "I suppose it doesn't matter. He didn't seem to like her. And, FYI, -that means For Your Information, in case you didn't know, Clare. - he was digging me too." She retreated back to her magazine, looking like she didn't care anymore. I love Alli. I don't know anyone with such . . . an outward appearance of uncaringness, even is something is cutting her up inside.

After a moment, I went back to my day dreaming. Let's see, I don't eat until fifth period, so that's four and a half hours from now. Great. Just great. How am I going to explain why there's some random guy coming to eat with us? I can't tell her I invited him because I figured he was hot and had a decent IQ score. Whatever. She can get over it.

I close my eyes.

**Were walking down the street. Today is a perfect day. It's not too hot, and it's not too cold. There's a perfect little breeze and a perfect little sunshine. Eli reaches down and takes my hand in his. His hands are so **_**warm**_**. I don't want to ever let go. **

**I smile, my face turning red. He lets go of my hand and drapes his arm around me. I lean into his chest, inhaling his beautiful scent. After a little bit of walking, we come up to a baseball field. There are people walking around eating ice cream. Players in uniforms are walking about, waiting for their games to start. **

**I see Alli and Dave sitting on the bleachers, cheering on someone, but that's not where we go. Eli leads me to a perfect place under a big oak tree and, out of nowhere, he produces a pick-nick basket and we sit down. Eli takes out a piece of cake and a fork. I take a bite. White icing and strawberry bread. Perfect. Eli doesn't move to take any, so I take a bite sized piece of cake on my fork and bring it up to his mouth. He grabs my wrist and eats the cake. Good Eli. Eli chews and swallows and starts to pull me to him. Bad Eli. Bad, hot, sexy Eli. I'm so close I can feel his warm breath on my face. I go in for the kiss . . . almost the-**

"Hey, Clare? What are you thinking about when you get that dreamy look on your face?" Alli asked, without looking away from her Cosmo. Damn Alli. "You get it all the time. It's a bit disturbing, is it just you not listening, or is that your real face?"

I smiled. She asks me all the time, but I never tell. If I tell her I'm thinking about boys, I'll never get away from Alli's constant giggles. "It's just my real face."


	3. Experimental Spin

"So, were just going to get to know each other for the rest of the week. I don't know anyone here, so, I suppose that's a plus for everyone!" Said the new teacher. She said her name was Ms. Oh. I don't know why, but I already like her. A few moments into class, there's a knock on the door. Ms. Oh opens said door.

"Is this the Media Immersion room?" Asked a soft voice. I know that voice. Red silk sheets.

"Well, there is a bunch of computers and a sign over the door that says 'Media Immersion' so I suppose it is." She said this without a hint of sarcasm, and she had a smile on her pretty face. She stepped back and let the boy in.

Everyone looked at him. Everyone. To some, it was new meat. To some, it was a rival for the girls in the class, and for others (mostly girls) it was a hot piece of ass. Sadly, I found myself loosely relating to the third group. (He wasn't just a hot piece of _ass, _he was hot all around.) "I'm sorry, I got lost."

"Couldn't you find someone to help you around?" Said Ms. Oh as she draped herself sideways in her rolling computer chair. I wish I were able to sit in a soft, cushy, chair that could double as a carnival ride.

"Nope. I went to the office, expecting to find the two lovely ladies," He made eye contact with me. I'm happy everyone is looking at him, because I can feel the blush creep up on my face. "Who helped around this morning, only to find a couple of gangly looking guys in there." Poor Eli. He went in on the two seniors that have a bad habit of eating paste. "For some reason, they sent me to three supply closets and made me get them some glue before they would tell me where the class is. Even then, they had sent me to the wrong place."

"Well, we have a full house today, so you have to share a computer with someone else. There's a chair in the corner. Pick a partner mister . . ."

"Eli Goldsworthy."

"Mr. Eli." Ms. Oh repeated back to him. Everyone started to make space at their table. (Little known fact: if your average looking and you go to a new school, there's almost no one who wants to affiliate with you. If you're hot, however, everyone wants to be your best friend. Why? Because their under the delusion that the hotness will rub off on them.)

He went to the corner, and picked up the chair. He didn't scoot it, he picked it up. That says 'man' to me. It says it in a low, soft tone. Slowly, he went to stand in the middle of the room. He surveyed the situation. Eli turned to the left, and saw Jenna and K.C. patting the seat in the middle of them. Eli turned right, and saw Dave and Wesley making a spot on the corner of their table. Then, Eli looked directly at me.

I didn't move my bag, I didn't move at all. I just sat there, and looked back at him. He smiled at me. Alli could have cared less. (She still had her pretty nose in her Cosmo.) Eli started to move. He went left. Jenna gave a smug smile to the room and watched Eli.

Watched him go right to my table in the back left side of the room. He sat his chair down. Ha! Karma, bitch. "May I sit with you?" I nodded my head and scooted over. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. Jenna, this year's Power Squad co-captain and the star of the basketball team were offering him a seat at the 'cool table' and he decided to sit with the looser, four-eyed, borderline genus. (That can be a bad thing in a place where there is a high concentration of _ahem stupid people._)

Now, I don't want that chair anymore. Just having Eli next to me made me feel warm and cushy enough.

Alli gave him a look, and then gave me a look, and went back to him again. "Hello." She said very kindly. She sounded nicer than she usually did, so I can tell she doesn't mind him. Like him, I don't know, but dislike him, no.

"Hello." He said back, (with a smile, of course.) He spoke over my head, I might add. Somehow, I ended up in the middle. In a way, it makes me feel better. I have Eli to myself. (Not that Alli would want him. She makes it a habit to stay away from, well, nice boys.) "You're Alli, right?" Alli nodded in appreciation.

I can feel the heat off of his body and smell his scent. He smells like fresh air and fabric softener. I love the scent of fresh air, and I love the scent of fabric softener. Both of them put together would have sent me into ecstasy if I weren't in the middle of a classroom with twenty other people. (Honestly, I was close to doing it anyway.) I don't even have to look at Eli to get turned on. Damn hormones. This table is to small, and he's to close . . .

"So, Clare, what's your middle name." Asked Eli. Then, it happened. I couldn't speak. I was so tongue tied. Those eyes just looked at me. They were so honest, so real, so _there_.

"I'm going to go around the room and ask for your names and something that you do." Said the teacher with her ever-present smile. She gave her chair an experimental spin. (That's it! I'm going to give Eli. An 'Experimental spin') Her voice had knocked me out of my trance as if it were a big, wooden mallet.

"Something we 'do?'" asked Jenna. She was curling one lock of hair in between her fat, tanned, fingers. Her pen was dangling from her mouth. Was that her pen? No, it was the pen from the signup sheet for Power Squad that they had left in the office. Seventeen girls came through and used that pen. I counted. That's just . . . disgusting.

"Yeah, like your favorite thing to do on a Sunday morning. We'll start with . . . you." She pointed Alli.

"I'm Alli and I like to eat breakfast on a Sunday morning." Thanks. I was going to say that.

"You next, Ms. Ginger." I'm assuming she meant me and I stated:

"I'm Clare," I say, motioning to myself. "And I like to sleep in on a Sunday morning."

"What about Saturday afternoon?" She asked.

"Just about the same thing."

"Why don't you do stuff, like go to church, or eat breakfast, or something productive?" Asked Ms. Oh.

"Because I do stuff all week. And besides, the pastor at my parent's church is off his rocker. I just watch (More like listen in a sleepy daze.) Copeland on the television." Pastor Skip is crazy. (I like my religion, but I've taken to studying it on my own nowadays.)

If he could, he'd move his congregation to Texas and form a tax-deductible cult. Mother Harris won't let that happen . . . again. That's how we lost our last pastor. He decided to become a Mormon. I'm not talking conservative Mormon person who's a little bit pushy with his views, (There's nothing wrong with regular Mormons.) I'm talking full on, straight up, dozen people marring, sixty-four kid having, kid fucking Mormon. (I don't care what they say, there are little girls marring old men in those cults.) I don't know how you could deal with that many people in one house anyway. And with the wives? They have to have a really suckey hierarchy. (I, again, don't care what they say. Ten women with the same husband can't get along unless their having sex with each other.)

"Well, I suppose there's no changing Ging- sorry. Clare. What do you do, umm, what was your name?"

"My name is Mr. Handsome." The class laughed. Not because it was all that funny, but because it was true. "I don't do much of anything." She sighed. Ms. Oh is fighting a losing battle. She will never get us out of bed on a weekend morning. I suppose Eli and I have a few things in common. We love our sweet, sweet, sleep.

Class drug on, Eli got warmer, and Ms. Oh tried to remember our names. (Rephrase- Ms. Oh _failed _to remember our names.) By the end of the day, I ended up being called 'Ginger' two more times. Once by Ms. Oh, and once when Eli asked me for a pencil.

I usually don't like it when people don't call me by my name, (I like my name. It's pretty.) But coming from Eli, it sounds like music. (He could be calling me every derogatory name in the book, but I would probably love every second of it because it was coming out of his mouth.) Finally, the bell rung. I started to leave for English, and Eli caught my wrist.

"Not to be a bother, but where is the English room?" He asked. His hands were so _warm_, and gentle. He wasn't trying to keep me in his grasp; he was trying to get my attention.

"I'll take you." He couldn't be a bother even if he was trying to be. I got my bag and look up to find that were the only people left in the room. Eli let go of my wrist. "I've got to go to my locker first." I leave the room and plunge into a throng of students, Eli very close behind. So, so close. One locker trip, getting through a hallway legion, and a few stumbles, later we finally make it to the English room.


	4. New Puppy

There's a light scattering of students, but the largest presence in the room is Mrs. Kwan. She's standing at her teaching podium, with her pen in her mouth and back straight at attention. She's always had good posture. I love Mrs. Kwan. She's proper without trying to be. It might not sound like much, but properness can be a very enduring quality.

I find a seat that's against the wall. The block walls are always nice and cool. I know I won't have it for long, because Mrs. Kwan assigns seats. I had to sit right next to Jenna last year.

"Clare, I have you in the back corner. Move, please." She said. Mrs. Kwan is pretty nice to me. She noticed that I like to be next to the walls.

"Where do I sit?" Asked Eli. He looked a bit like a helpless puppy. I just want to run to him, drag him to my desk, sit him down, and rub his head as if I had just found him on the side of the road, but I restrained myself. (Barley.)

"I suppose you can sit wherever you please. I don't know where to put you." Eli went to the desk right in front of me. Ah, sweet relief. "I had the Turner boy there, but I suppose he can sit in the extra desk." The extra desk is falling apart because she sat the fattest kid in it last year. About six hundred pounds will make a metal desk lean to one side. (He's a really nice, kind boy, but he is carrying entirely too much weight. He would be handsome too, if all that fat weren't covering up his face. Hell, I'd go out with him if I weren't afraid he would get stuck at the door of a restaurant.)

That's what Dave gets for Crazy gluing pennies to Mrs. Kwan's desk. We couldn't get in here for a week. (The janitor had to order industrial strength glue remover.)

I fought the urge to reach out and tangle my fingers in his dark, soft hair. It was so close. All I would have to do is reach out just a little. I found my fingers moving up, but my wrist was laid flat on the desk. Slowly, the rest of the class slipped in.

"Alli, next to Clare. Jenna, in front of . . ." She motioned to Mr. Handsome with her pen.

"Eli Goldsworthy"

"Right. K.C, right front corner." Ordered Mrs. Kwan as they walked into the room. Lucky me, poor Eli. Alli tossed a crumpled up piece of paper on to my desk. **What's his deal? Did you get a new puppy? ** I suppose she's referring to Eli. I wish he was my puppy.

**He doesn't know his way around. People cling to what they know. **I wrote back, trying to sound like it was nothing. I don't need this now. Alli gets excited when I'm attracted to anyone. Apparently, it's an alien thing.

**Sure. By the way you looked at him; I can tell you don't mind his 'clinging.' **Oh well, Alli knows me like the palm of her hand. I know the saying is the 'back' of her hand, but I don't look at the back of my hand much. I mean, I see it, but I don't pay attention. I look at the inside of my hand more than the back. I usually have a reason for looking at my palm, so I pay attention.

**So what if I don't? **The great reveal!

**You have good taste. Mr. Eli Goldsworthy is hawt! I was starting to think you had gone gay on me. Don't look now, but Jenna all up on him. **Oh, I looked. I looked, I saw, I was pissed off. I don't think Jenna isn't doing anything _wrong, _but I don't like the way she's doing it. She's leaning her chest over Eli's desk, every few moments; she'll mess with her hair, or finger her lips. But, to my advantage, Eli looks like he doesn't care. I scrawl a response quickly before I resolve this problem.

**Ewwww! Boobs are gross! They secrete stuff that babies make into poop. **

I tapped Eli's shoulder.

"Where did you say you were from?" I asked. I'm cutting in or their conversation, (if you can call it that. She's mostly asking a bunch of stupid questions) but I don't care. No. Just . . . no. Here it is. The reason for me to treat her like the bitch she is. For one thing, she has a man. For another, he's just not into her.

"Paulette. It's about eighty miles away. It hardly has a school, coming here is a bit of a shell shock." I've heard of Paulette. It's the closest thing to Podunk around here.

"What caused the move?"

"My dad's office moved. He's working for the technical assistance place."

"That's nice." I said. My dad sold the owner of the building the office. He's a real estate agent, but I didn't feel like talking about my family. If I did, I would want someone to kill me, because my family is the worst thing in my world. They're the only things I can't really get rid of. "Goldsworthy, that's an interesting last name."

"Yeah. It's not my real one."

"How did that happen?"

"My great-grandpa was the town drunkard. Grandpa didn't want to be associated with him, so he made up a last name. It kind of stuck." Eli shrugged and placed his hand on my desk. "It's actually better. If it wasn't changed, I'd be Eli Assassasher. What's your last name?"

"Edwards. Just a common, English name."

"There's nothing common about you." That's corny, and by the little smile on his face, I'm not alone in that assumption. His fingers started to slide towards mine. Our fingertips touched-

And then Mrs. Kwan opened her big, fat, mouth. "Alright, everyone needs to turn to the first page in your text book and start reading The Ransom of Red Chief." Eli sighed and looked down to his shoes. He looked so disappointed. Poor Eli. Then, he turned back around to his desk top. He raised his hand.

"I don't have a book." He said sadness apparent in his voice.

"I don't have one either. Share with someone. I'll have to call the central office and order a book." I guess it's the same in every class. We're slightly ill prepared for the influx of four people. Eli got up, and pulled his desk next to mine, and plopped back down in it. The smile was back on his face.


	5. I Spit in That Stew

I think I'm addicted. Fourth period was awful. Not because it was my least favorite subject (math) but because Mr. Armstrong put Eli and Alli on the other side of the class room, and then made us brush up on our polynomials. I have polynomials. I was bored to tears.

Now, though, it's fifth period and time for lunch.

"That was boring." Said Alli as we walked to the cafeteria. "At least it was Polynomials. Their easy." Alli always complains about how easy the math is. It is most certainly not easy. High school math may be the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I just rolled my eyes at her and went through the lunch line. Chicken stew today. I don't like the main course at school. The side items are edible, but the main course . . . I think it moves sometimes.

Alli and I sit down and start to pick around the nearly toxic food. I think the big burned spot on the auditorium floor is because someone took their lunch there and dropped it.

Dave and Wesley come and sit with us, being careful not to spill their stew.

Wesley is eyeing me. I shifted around and watched my food. (It moved again.) Wesley is nice, but he's the blandest person I've ever met. He never has anything interesting to say, he never makes me laugh, and he never does anything charming. The only thing he does out of the ordinary is staring at me. It's disturbing.

Conner finally sits down with us. Following him is none other than Eli Goldsworthy. He places his plate down next to Dave, and then he slid it across the table to sit next to me. I scoot closer to Alli so we can have the proper space. Three people, sitting in two parallel rows, with everyone facing one person. It worked to my advantage, because instead of having Wesley in front of me, I had Dave. Dave was staring at Alli, who was staring at Drew, who was sitting across the room with his sister, who was sitting next to Sav and Riley.

"So, you're new around here?" Asked Wesley. Well, have you ever met him? No. So what the Hell else would he be?

"Yeah." He said, apparently not wanting to talk to Wesley. Then, he started to eat. I think all of us just sat and watched. He ate the cornbread, and he ate the peas, and he ate the chicken stew, and he ate the sweet potato casserole, and he drank all of his milk. Slowly, equipped with a sly smile and charisma, he reached over to my plate and took my chicken stew. Well, he took something of mine; I'll take something of his. The only good thing that the cafeteria serves.

I took his cookie. And I bit it, and it was good. Eli looked up at me as if I were an angry old woman who had just taken candy from him as I chewed. After a cute moment, he went back to his stew.

"I don't think I've ever seen you steal anything." Said Alli, who was stippling laughter. I was too. I never put my hands on other people's plate.

"I didn't steal. It was a trade."

"No!" Whined Eli. "I wanted that cookie. You didn't want your chicken concoction."

"Chicken concoction?" asked Dave.

"I'm not sure what it was." I'm not sure either.

"Well, you didn't ask for my chicken concoction, and why didn't you say anything about you wanting your cookie. You just let me take it."

"Can I have your chicken concoction?" He was already eating it, why not.

"It's called 'stew'!" Exclaimed Dave.

"Sure. Can I have your cookie?" He'll give it to me. I just know it.

"No." I put the half-eaten cookie back on his plate. Eli picked it up and licked it.

"Can I have your cookie now?"

"No." He replied. I waited a moment.

"If I steal your cookie, will you report me to the police?"

"No."

"Will you report me to the principal?"

"No."

"Will you report me to the student council president?"

"I don't even know who the student council president is." I took his cookie again and ate the rest of it.

"I liked that."

"I don't care. I spit in that stew." Lie.

"No you didn't."

"But if I did, you would be eating it anyway." I got a few funny looks from the people around the table, but Eli just shook his head and smiled. Good friends. They know when to keep their nose out of my flirty conversations. (Except Dave, but he doesn't count. I never pay attention to him anyway. At least, not when he's being stupid. No one cares that it's called stew.)

"Hey Alli?" Said Eli.

"Yeah?" Replied Alli.

"Isn't that fellow with Drew your brother?"

"Yeah."

"Why did you let him leave the house in those God-awful plastic atrocities?" He asked. This was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Alli loathes Crocks. If Alli has ever hated, really _hated_ anything in her life, it's those stupid plastic shoes. Sav loves them. Every time Sav buys them, Alli chucks them into the family fireplace. Truth be told, I think their ugly. They should only be worn by people who have deformed feet. I can see how they would be good for orthopedic patents too.

"You hate Crocks?" She said with a big, hopeful smile on her face. Alli likes this boy.

"Yes I do. They are the ugliest shoes ever-"

"Dude, are you queer?"

"No. What, pray tell, gives you that impression?"

"You use big, unnecessary words. I don't think I've heard the words 'fellow' and 'concoction' ever come out of a sophomore's mouth. Then you go on about how much you hate Alli's brother's shoes. Straight guys don't talk about other guy's style."

"Well, I could assume you're a homosexual too." He said. I've never thought about it, but Dave could be gay.

"How!" He asked, outraged.

"The way your head is shaved, and you're wearing a swatch."

"What does my watch have to do with anything?"

"I've only known one person who wears swatches. He's a homosexual." There was a silence. Eli gave him a smile and then Dave laughed. He may be annoying, but he can take a joke.

I heard footsteps behind me, but I was too busy watching Dave laugh to really care.

"Party at my place." Said a familiar voice from behind me. I smiled. I like it when Declan is around. He's such a mood maker. And ever since Holly J. broke up with him, he's had a slew of nice girlfriends too. I suppose he's a 'player' but Declan's a nice one. I don't think his girlfriends think he's serious about anything either. "I usually don't invite kids like you, but any friend of Prop Master Clare is a friend of mine." Declan sat down beside Alli, but he was talking directly to me. He always talks to me instead of the people he's really addressing. "Seven o'clock. Be there."

Oh shit. Party at Rich Boy's House. I hope no one throws up in his closet.

"Will we be the only sophomores there?" Asked Wesley.

"No. There's no telling who will crash. A party around here is like a school event." He was right. Everyone came to a party, weather they were invited or not. Still, it's an honor to be invited. It means I'm special.

Something occurred to me. Declan and Eli have never met. I was about to introduce them, but Eli beat me to it. "I'm Eli, and you are . . ."

"Declan Coyne." He said as he reached over Alli to shake Eli's hand. Eli reached over me and the hands had a shake-fest. My plate was empty, so I went to the tray return. Declan stood up and followed me. "He seems . . . err . . . . Nice."

"What?" I asked.

"That Eli boy you're sweet on."

"I'm not sweet on him." I don't think I've ever been called 'sweet' on someone.

"Sure you're not. Just, be careful. Boys can be bastards. You are too good to be with anyone who doesn't deserve you." He patted me on the back as we walked. "You're a Hell of a kisser too." I stopped dead in my tracks. We weren't supposed to talk about that! He just laughed at me and stalked off. I puffed up my cheeks and stomped one of my feet. If Declan wasn't one of my best friends, I would shove him in his own chicken concoction and rub the sweet potato casserole in his hair.

I went back to my table.

"What was that about?" Asked Alli.

"He was just giving me flack like he always does." That quelled Alli's inquiry, but Eli looked at me funny. The look on his face was almost sad and mad at the same time.

"About what?" He asked. His normally silky tone was a bit ragged. Shit. I've made him feel bad.

"Everything. Nothing." I shrugged, trying to shake it off. "So, what do you have next?" I ask, trying to change the conversation.

"Science. Then I have Physical Education and history. What do you take?"

"It's called P.E." Said Dave.

"Well, science, of course, and then I take history and Latin." I replied.

"Same here. I guess they put you in the second history class. It makes sense; the history room is too small for everyone to take the class at the same time." Said Alli.

"Hey, can one of you get me a ride to that party?" Asked Wesley.

"Yeah. I need a ride too." Said Connor.

"My brother can take us. He's going." Said Alli.

"How do you know?" Said Connor. It came out a bit critical, but Alli has learned not to pay any attention to his tone. He doesn't know how to change it.

"Because A. He loves parties, and B. I can't go unless he goes, so he has to go. Clare, do you need a ride?" Asked Alli.

"No. It's only a block or two away. I'll walk."

"Why did I even ask? You walk everywhere. You walk to school, you walk to the Dot. Remember that time you walked all the way to Maud?"

"You walked all the way to Maud?" Asked Dave, not believing what he was hearing.

"What's a Maud?" Asked Eli.

"Maud is the closest real city. It's like, twenty miles away." Said Wesley.

"It's only fifteen miles." I said. I think a good walk is a Hell of a lot better than spending half an hour in a car with my mother. According to her, I should be walking anyway. I can't agree with her more.

"So? Why did you go in the first place?" Asked Dave.

"I needed shampoo. My parents were away and I was out of it." What? I use a special shampoo. Dave looked at me like I was insane. He doesn't have any hair, he wouldn't understand.

"Eli, do you need a ride?" Asked Alli.

"Where does he live?"

"4153 De Grassi Street."

"How far is that from Lovelace Avenue?"

"Like, ten miles. Okay, game plan- Sav and I will pick up Dave, then Wesley, and then we'll come around to pick up Eli." Alli held one of her fingers in the air. "Pick-up policy: be in your yard by the time we get there, or we're leaving without you." Alli pointed an accusing finger at me.

"I don't care if you live a couple of blocks away from everything of note around here, we're picking you up. Then, we'll all go to the Dot, have a decent dinner, and after that we will proceed in parting our night away." That's Alli. She's a playmaker kind of person. That makes her an even better friend. I don't plan things nearly as much as her. She's always prepared. (Thank God for that. She's saved countless pairs of my pants because I don't carry tampons.)

"What's the Dot?" Asked Eli.

"Have you seen that restaurant with the red sign?" I asked.

"The one down the street?"

"Yeah. That's the Dot. They make a great burger." I said. He smiled at me. If it was possible, I would melt, right here, all over the floor. (People can't really _melt_.)


	6. Giggles

I can't believe I didn't walk. I'm caught in between stupid Dave and stupid Wesley. I don't know how we'll fit Eli in the car. After a few moments, we roll up to his address. There's a little white house. It looks so . . . small. I'm used to a big, two level house. I like my space. I suppose it could be _cozy _or something. I'm not saying I'm better than whoever lives here, but living in suck a little space would take some getting used to. His mother must stay at home, because keeping a little house with three people in clean must be hard.

Eli is standing on the grass. He's in cute little tennis shoes with bright blue laces. His jeans are a dark blue. Light jeans remind me of mom pants.

Sav parked the car on the curb and blew the horn.

"Alright, everyone has to get out of the car." Okay. I get out of the car. "How are we going to fit."

"We could put Dave in the trunk." I say. I don't mean it. (Lie) Sav laughs.

"I like the way you think, Edwards." Sav and I get along alright.

"We could make a seat in the front." Said Alli. She wrinkles her nose. She must be thinking about having to sit next to Wesley.

"I'm already sitting in it." Said Connor. This is a conundrum. Damn it. Alli should have just let me walk. I can't walk now, were thirty miles from the Dot, and forty from the party.

"Well, someone will have to share a seat. Who's the smallest?" I looked at Dave. Bigger. I look to Alli. I have a fuller body, but she's like, four inches taller than me. Everyone has gotten taller over the summer. Everyone but me. Alli had grown up, and I'm just . . . the same old Clare, plus a haircut and about fifteen extra pounds. I suppose I'm not using all those calories on growing, their becoming fat. I've gained three inches and two cup sixes since May. My mom keeps telling me to join a gym. (I tell her she's just jealous because she doesn't need a bra. That shuts her up. It's insulting because it's true.)

I've gotten fatter, and Alli has become the tall, hot Indian girl that I knew she would be. She was always been worried she wouldn't grow anymore.

Alli looked at me as if I needed to save her. I know what she wants. She can't sit on a boy. Her brother would have a field day. Slowly, rolling my eyes, I raise my hand.

"You're going to have to sit in someone's lap." Sav said. Wow, that's a great deduction, Sherlock.

"Isn't that illegal?" Asked Wesley, being his clueless self. Of course it's illegal. Why would we have seatbelts if we weren't supposed to use them correctly?

"Yeah, but the windows are tinted." Sav pointed at the car. You couldn't see in the windows. I hate the tented windows, but that's just me. I suppose everyone else loves them.

"Isn't that illegal too?" Asked Wesley again.

"Yeah, but no one cares." Says Sav, being a little bit less patient. "Who's carrying Clare?" Dave looked at me, shook his head, and rushed into the car.

"Sorry, but were driving for like, half an hour, and you're . . ." Said Dave. Fat? Is that what you want to say? Fat? "White. If my grandma saw me with a white girl, she would kick me out and tell me that I can go back to my little bar of white chocolate." Old people can be racist, but that's bullshit because I know his grandma, and she loves me.

Connor got into the car. "Sorry." He said. He scooted into the middle seat in the back. At least I won't have to sit with Wesley. I know where Connor is coming from. I'm not exactly . . . feather light. I wouldn't want me sitting on me either. Then, Wesley looked at me with a look of expectation.

"Get in the car, Wesley." I commanded him. I'm. Not. Sitting. My. Ass. On. Wesley. Eli looked at me like he didn't know what to do. I pushed him near the seat and he sat down, catching my gist. I sat on top of him and shut the door. I saw Alli look in the rear view window. She just smiled and winked. I rolled my eyes and leaned back into Eli. He was so soft, but I could feel lean muscle under his clothes. Slowly, as not to draw attention, he wrapped his arms around me. He was so tall (or I'm so short) that, even in his lap, he was looking slightly down at me.

"Clare, I'm hurt. You don't want to sit with your favorite football player?" Asked Sav, embellishing and exaggerating certain words. It was clear that he was kidding, but I'm sure he would carry my fat ass anywhere if I needed it. He's a good friend.

Oh, God. (Sorry for using your name in such a way, but I couldn't help myself.) Those eyes caught me off guard. I wanted to turn around and kiss him right there, but we weren't in the right place. For a moment, we ride in comfortable silence. Then, Sav finds one of his favorite Compact Disks and places it in the Compact Disk player. He cranks it up. The speakers are in the back and their playing my ears off, but I don't want to ruin Sav's day. He loves his music.

"What was that thing with that Declan guy at lunch?" Eli whispers in my ear. Our position, coupled with his hot breath on my little, sensitive ear makes me blush. My heart starts to flutter. I really hate my ears. Their too small for my body and I think I miss some things because their too small to pick up sounds sometimes. I just hope Alli doesn't see the redness on my face.

For a moment, I looked at his ears. Their a kind of . . . huge. I wonder, if he flapped them, could he fly away? Forgetting what we were talking about, I turn around, putting my feet in Connor's lap. I reach over and take them in my hands.

"What are you doing?" Asks Eli as he tries to turn away. I don't let him.

"You have some big ears." I give the ears in question a little rub. Eli _giggles._

"Stop it!" He giggled some more. "You're tickling me!" I make him laugh like a little school girl for a few more seconds, then I stop.

His look got serious again. Has he been concerned about Declan all day? Poor Eli.

"Nothing. I designed the sets for his play. We just spent a lot of time together." It was the truth, mostly. That's all anyone ever needs to know. Eli smiled at me and held me tighter. If we were all heavenly deities, he would be a god. I suppose I'd be a messenger or the one who decides where the rainbows should show up. (I'd put them near elementary schools. I hope no one asks where they come from. I got really sad when I heard their just a bunch of lights.)

We pulled into the Dot. I got off of Eli's lap (unwillingly) and slid out the door on Dave's side. Eli rushed behind me and took my hand. I couldn't help but smile. It's nice, to have a significant other. I don't really feel _alone._ I have Alli, and Connor, and Dave, and, even now, I have K.C. to talk to, but it's something completely different when, if you're happy with the person you're with, you can just kiss them. Whenever you feel like it, not just on the cheek or under a sprig of mistletoe, or in a closet. We walked in, hand in hand.


	7. FiveHundred and Sixty Four Cheeseburgers

**Concerning one of my reviews, I know she's not fat. But it is from her perspective, and just about everyone has weight issues, if they admit them or not.**

"Are you a taxi service now? What's with all the youngsters?" Asked Derek as he walked us to a big round booth in the corner of the room. I can't believe, after all things he's done, Derek could get a job at the Dot.

"Were on the way to a party. All separate tickets." Said Sav as Derek took our drink orders. Eli looked like he wanted to say something, but Derek walked away right after taking our orders. I hope he didn't want to put us on the same check. (Yeah, right-rolls eyes inside her own head- I'm trying to save my money for new paint for my room. I want to make my entire wall a chalkboard.)

Conversation started, but I didn't join in. I was too busy trying to keep myself from squalling. Eli was rubbing gentle, slow circles on my knee. I'm ticklish. After I couldn't take any more of it, I let my hand drift under the table. I laid my hand on his, and held it still for a moment, hoping he would get the message. He did. Eli's hand stayed still and my own hand went back above the table.

"Clare . . . " I wasn't paying attention. Alli's voice was like a little buzz in my ear. "Clare!" Alli got fed up and kicked me under the table. Out of reflex, my leg jumped up, but it didn't hit the table. Eli's hand did. Hard. Poor Eli. He jerked his hand away from my knee and started rubbing it. His knuckles were bleeding.

Springing into action, (if getting something that's four inches from your hand is considered springing) I got a napkin and pressed it into his hand. "Damn-it, Alli, look at what you made me do."

"ME? Blame him. He's the one with his hands all over you." Alli said, even though I could tell she wasn't offended. She was more amused than anything else.

"Did you just swear?" Asked Dave, just to be ignored.

"Sorry for ruining your moment, but you were getting that dreamy look again. I was getting concerned." Said Alli with a dismissing wave of her hand.

"Next time, get concerned with something else." Eli had bled through the napkin. I pull the bloody napkin away and grab Alli's. It's her fault.

"I'm sorry." Eli said, down trodden.

"For what?" I ask, not knowing what he was talking about.

"I got your shirt all dirty." Sure enough, there was a little red stain on the hem of my white blouse. He sounded so sad, so disappointed in himself.

"Don't worry about it." I say. I rub my fingers in his palm, trying to make him feel better. That look on his face . . . I can't help myself. I ran my free fingers through his dark, soft hair. It was cool and soft, like fresh powdered sugar, or new snow. God burned Godly gold in a kiln, then twisted it into little, perfect strands to make Eli's hair. I could feel the eyes on me, but the only thing important was that the second I touched his person, Eli closed his eyes and smiled.

"Who have you been sucker punching?" Asked Sav. I jumped away like I was doing something wrong. He must have missed the entire scene, because he looked at me like he always does. Really, I love him. I love Sav for being . . . such a Sav-like person. "What? It looks like he could beat someone's ass." I pulled the napkin up, to find that Eli was done bleeding.

"I'm going to clean up." Said Eli as he rushed to the bathroom. The second he was in the door, Alli gave me a death glare. I'm in trouble.

"You. Didn't. Tell. Me. Anything." She spat out through grated teeth.

"There wasn't anything to say. It just . . . kind of . . . happened." I shrugged and watched as Derek brought our drinks. Derek is, well, a looser. Shouldn't he be in college?

"Did someone go on the rag? I don't want to clean that up."

"No, but I will if you don't take our orders and go away." I said as I wipe up the, like, _drop _of blood Eli had left on the table. Derek has always tormented me. Ever since I was really young and came here with Darcy, he has never let up. I send whatever he says back to him in some sort of twisted way.

"Fine, Lady Blood. What do you want?" Asked Derek without even taking out the little pad-notebook thing that servers take around. The only good thing about him is that he has a pretty good memory. He's never messed up my orders.

"A cheeseburger, please. No onions, no mayonnaise."

"I know. That's the thing you've came in here, and ordered, five hundred and sixty four times." He acts like the only thing I ever consume is cheeseburgers from the Dot. Breakfast: a Dot cheeseburger. Lunch: a Dot cheeseburger. Dinner: a Dot cheeseburger. Midmorning snack: a Dot cheeseburger. (With extra pickles, just to mix things up.) This is a little game that the staff of the Dot have. I come in here, and eat the same thing every time I order. A cheeseburger with no onions or mayonnaise. They noticed and started to keep a running count. Five hundred and sixty four burgers may sound like a monstrous amount, but spread out from the time I was, like, six, it only makes one in every . . . four days. I think. I'll have to ask Alli about the figures.

Eli walked back to the table, and instead of getting up and giving him his seat back, I just scooted over into his. It was still warm. Not like back massager warm, but like _someone who loves you have given you their seat _warm. Know what I mean? Like when Daddy goes to get you some ice cream and you steal his chair because you're skinny, lazy sister is hogging the couch, and he doesn't care, he just steals a bite of your ice cream.

Ice cream would be great right now, it might cool off the racing engine I call my heat.

"That's some hot stuff." Said Sav, giving some lady across the room a look. She was . . . mature. Not old, just a bit mature. She looked like the iconic cougar, with the young face and body, but it was easily seen, just by the way she carried herself, that she was an older lady.

"Yeah. The perfect lady. Women are like wine, they get better with age." Said Connor. What wisdom. So, I suppose I'm a grape.

"What about someone like . . . Clare? Does that make girls like her a grape?" Said Alli, thinking along the same ways as I am. Funny, how she excludes herself when she talks about my youth, like she's not the same age. It's amazing, how we can know what each other is thinking sometimes.

"No, she's a different drink." Said Connor, giving me a hopeful smile. I nodded at him.

"Like what? A soda? Are you calling Clare fat?" Asked Alli. She loves to tease Connor.

"No . . . like a . . ." Connor stumbled over his words. Poor Connor.

"Like a cold glass of water on a hot day." Whispered Eli so as I was the only one that could hear him. That may be the sweetest thing I've ever heard. If I wasn't already blushing, I would be red. Eli took a drink of his . . . ice water.

"Yeah, like a soda. She's sweet." I know he sees me smiling, but I'm not smiling at him.

"Leave him alone." Said Wesley in a weak voice. Wimp. I wish, just like there needs to be a special prison for Alli, there needs to be one for people like Wesley. A prison for annoying people. (Annoying people who are bad kissers. I went for his neck to get away from his lips.)

"Alright. I'll stop riding your boyfriend." Dave looked offended for a moment, but he forgot all about it when his food was situated in front of him.

"Hey Alli, if I've eaten five hundred and sixty four cheeseburgers since I was six years old, about how often do I eat one?" Alli looked thoughtful for a couple of seconds.

"It makes one in, like, every five and a half days." That's not very frequent.

"I eat more than that." Said Eli.

"Yeah, but they don't count how many you eat." Said Alli. We started to eat. After I had finished my burger (We didn't talk. The food was too good.) I looked at my friends. I'm a slow eater, but I was the first one done. I suppose it was because I didn't have fries. Eli was chewing. Chewing slowly, like he was savoring the best thing he's ever eaten. He made eye contact with me. He kept chewing. Bite after bite, water sip after water sip, Mr. Handsome just kept staring at me. I almost wish I were that straw in his ice water. I would have that red silk all over me.

Derek brought us our checks and went on with his pointless rat killing. Poor Holly J. couldn't get rid of him. I reached for mine, but, once again, Eli beat me to it. As he drug it toward him, our fingertips brushed against each other. I have a feeling that the ever-present (since Eli came around) blush was back with vengeance. Usually, I wouldn't let anyone pay my bill, but I'll let Eli have what he wants.

"Let's roll out." Said Sav as he got in line to pay his bill.


	8. Danger Up the Stairs

As we entered Declan's house, we noticed that the party was already pumping. Something was playing that was so fast I couldn't understand, but I know I liked it. Sav went to find his buddies, Connor and Wesley went to the chips. (Boys cling to what they know, and Wesley knows his chips.) I have no idea where Dave and Alli wandered off to, but I have a feeling they didn't wander off together.

Declan's huge house is decorated with blue and yellow streamers and there's refreshments at every table. I start to walk to the chips. I want to get some of the good ones before their gone, (and before everyone has had their dirty hands in them.)

Two arms wrap around my waist from behind. I know those strong arms. It's the same arms that held me close for an hour in the car. I take his hands and pull them out from around me. I don't want to hold up traffic at the door. K.C. and Jenna have done that to me before, and it makes a person very uncomfortable. I pull him to a secluded area, under the stairs. It's a little dark, but it's very empty. It's a _high school _party; no one will even think to use the coat closet. (It's the only thing in the immediate area.)

I turn around to look at him. God, help me control myself. Eli's eyes, there the greenest things I think I've ever seen. The almost glow in the dark. Slowly and gently, he pushed me against the wall with his body.

The brick is cold like ice, and Eli's body is seething hot. The contrast between being alone, and being tangled up with someone else. Not just anyone, either. Him.

Eli leaned into me and his mouth neared my ear. I could feel his warm, damp breath on my neck.

"What kind of girl are you?" He asked.

"What . . . ?" I asked in a stupor. His scent . . . his . . . fabric . . . fresh air.

"What do you want to hear? Sweet nothings or lies about forever?" I could feel him smiling on my cheek, signaling he didn't really mean what he was saying.

"Just say anything." I said, the stupor wearing off a bit. Now, I can almost make coherent thoughts. Almost.

"How 'bout I just tell you the truth. Do you have any idea what I want to do to you?" He nuzzled my ear with his nose. I shook my head, making his face run along mine.

I'm getting this feeling, it's not butterflies, and it's not discomfort. My entire body if feeling flushed. I'm not sweating, but I feel warm all over. There's a warm, tumbling feeling in the very, very bottom of my belly.

Did I just start my period? No, that can't be right. I just got off of it a few days ago. What . . . what's happening to me? I have no idea what it is, but I know I like it.

Eli placed one of his hands on my hip and the other one beside my head on the wall. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't get away without his consent. Under any other circumstance, I would feel trapped, and scared, but, for some reason, I feel just the opposite. Confined, but safe. Trapped but loved. It's as if I'm wrapped up in a soft, warm blanket. Mr. Handsome pressed against me a little bit harder; his hand gripped me a little bit tighter. Eli looked me in the eye. His eyes shone a little bit brighter.

I gave in to myself. Slowly, I reached up and stroked his face with my fingertips. I just barely touched him. My fingernails are long and a bit sharp, I don't want to scratch him, but I want to touch him. That's all I want at the moment, just a gentile, ghosting touch.

"Maybe I should tell you. I want to pick you up, and throw you on my –clang- Then, I would take my –clang- and grab your –clang- after we're all worked up, I would –clang- you over my –clang- my fingers would –clang- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!" Eli spat out as he banged his fist on the cold brick. He whipped around so quickly that my fingernails left a few little red trails. Damn! I knew I shouldn't have touched his face. Look at what I did! I just couldn't help myself . . .

Someone started to stomp down the steps. Eli was mad. I wasn't as angry as I was frustrated. Sexually frustrated. Eli walked out from under the steps with his fists curled. (Why am I exclusively attracted to hot heads?) When he saw who was coming down the stairs, his shoulders slumped and his fingers separated. I didn't know who it was. Eli was in my line of sight.

I moved from behind him and saw something that I will never forget.

Alli.

Her makeup was smudged around her face and her hair was a mess. The light orange top that she was wearing had a rip in the collar. (She was holding it together.) One of her dark brown eyes was rimmed in red, and the other one was marred with a bruise.

"Who?" I asked. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know what happened.

"Johnny." She whispered. Then, as quick as her long legs would take her, she jumped into my arms and sobbed. I stroked the back of her head. I looked at Eli. He looked as if he were on the verge of crying too. When a friend gets hurt, it's almost worse on you than it is on them.

"Get Sav. I'm taking her to the car." I slowly started to escort Alli to her brother's little Honda. I sat her down in the back as she continued to cry. I pulled out my cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Asked Alli through her tears.

"Calling the police." I said. Alli knocked the phone out of my hand with as much force as she could muster. It busted open as it hit the car window. (It's alright. I never really liked it anyway. That entire stupid thing does is ring at inconvenient moments. I don't need 'Tic Tok' playing during a funeral.)

"No!" Alli exclaimed. "He'll tell them about the first time. My parents will kill me!" I'm not sure about _killing, _but the Bhandari elders won't go easy on her. She might be better off to not to call the police, but I'm not about to let Johnny get away with it.


	9. Not Getting Away With It

Here we are, at Johnny Di Marco's house. I can't believe what he did. I used to think he was a jerk, but now . . .

Now he has Hell to pay. No one, NO ONE, hurts my friends. I finger the knife I have on my belt loop. I'm not going to kill him, just scare the Fuck out of him. Tear his furniture up. Truth be told, I think I would be doing this even if Eli and Dave weren't here. Alli is just like a sister to me.

I'm relieved that she went to sleep right after we took her home. Sav couldn't come. If he got caught, he would never be able to make it up with community service, or get his record cleaned up before he has to apply to collage. Plus, he's not a minor like us. We'll get a slap on the wrist, (A day or two in juvenile hall, a few months probation, a week of community service, or maybe even a fine. Something small.) Sav would be charged as an adult and get put in prison.

Wesley doesn't have the balls to trespass. Connor can't get in trouble or he'll get kicked out of school.

"Clare, are you sure you should be here? Johnny cold hurt a girl like you." Said Dave. I know I'm not very large, or strong looking, but I could hold my own in a fight. (Hopefully.)

"I'll be fine." We go up to his door. I know he's in there. The light is on and no one else lives here. I pull a pin out of my pocket and work it into the lock. The door opened, but there was a deadbolt holding it closed.

"Move over, Ginger." I did. Eli handed me his baseball bat and threw himself against the door. The deadbolt broke. That's my big strong man. He rubbed his shoulder like it was sore. _I'll_ have to rub it later. I gave him his bat back. Slowly, we peered in. The little house was, oddly enough, immaculate. It won't be for long.

Johnny was standing in the kitchen, with a taco in his hand. I suppose you get hungry after a long night of rape. I walked into the house first, and Eli followed me with his bat. Dave shuffled in as if he was an afterthought. I have to give him kudos for having the guts to come with us. He really loves Alli.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" Asked Johnny with a mouth full of taco meat. He swallowed and came into his little living room.

"That's a good question." I went to sit on the couch. I leaned my head on one arm and my feet over the other. Here I am, draped over Johnny Di Marco's couch, fully intending run my blade over nice, soft leather. I've always had a thing for the gentle, cool leather that makes nice furniture.

I look around and I find that everything in this house is nice. The large, flat screen television had to be expensive. The Play station stuff had to cost thousands. The carpet was soft and blue. I pulled off my shoes and threw them at the door, placing one foot on the floor, shuffling my toes around on the blue carpet fibers.

I sigh. I'm enjoying the luxuries of someone else's house, fully meaning to destroy everything in sight. Eli and Dave both started to edge toward Johnny. He started to back up into the kitchen.

"What's your problem? Do you really think that we would just let you leave after what you did?" Said Dave as he knocked over a chair.

"I . . . I" stammered Johnny.

"Where's Clare?" Asked Eli. I heard him walk quickly back to the living room, but didn't look up. I expected to hear him walk back in the kitchen and give Johnny what for, but that never happened, instead, I heard some heavy breathing. I could barley tell what it was over Dave's yelling at Johnny, and Johnny's scared stammering. That sound, Johnny falling all over his word (he's usually quite smooth) is one of the most appealing things I've ever heard, but it's nowhere near the level of sweet satisfaction I get from hearing Eli's deep, loud breath.

I know it's not from walking four miles to get here.

I know it's not from confronting Johnny.

He's, for all practical purposes, I _panting, _because of me. I'm not satisfied anymore. I'm _hungry._ Hungry for Eli Goldsworthy. I look at him. He's flushed, as if the sight of me has given him light sunburn. There's sweat sticking to his dark hair and his collar is starting to become a shade darker. My eyes go down. The white shirt he's wearing is covering up the skin I'm longing to touch. Further down, there's a noticeable bulge in his pants. I'm not the only one wanting this.

I gave an experimental wiggle. Eli looked like he was trying to hold something in. I want to find out what it is. I did it again.

Eli whined. Slowly, he put one foot in front of the other and inched toward me. The longing look was apparent in his eyes, just as (I'm sure) the look is easily seen in mine. After a few painstakingly long moments, he was looking down at me. I could feel him breath. The sound, the temperature, was so overwhelming. My vision went blurry.  
"Well?" I asked in a choked whisper.

"Well what?" He said back.

"What are you waiting for?" He starts to lean in. His emerald green eyes are clouded with lust and want.

Suddenly, we hear a loud bone crunching sound. Then there's a thud. Oh shit. Dave just got his ass beat. Eli starts to run to the kitchen, but stopped himself. He looked at his bulge, and then back at me. He stomped one of his feet like an upset child. I took off the over shirt and threw it to him. He gave me a quick nod as if to say 'thank you' and tied it around his waist. Now, I'm left in a tank top. I usually wouldn't gallivant around in something so skimpy, but at the moment, I don't really care. I get up and walk to the kitchen. There, I see a rare sight.

There's Dave, standing over a bleeding, unconscious Johnny. His nose is obviously broken, and there's a gash on his cheek that's bleeding profusely. (Not enough to really hurt him.) David verses Goliath.

"You knocked him out." Said Eli in disbelief.

"Yeah. Where the Hell were you. I wanted to kick the shit out of him with your bat." Said Dave breathlessly. He may be annoying sometimes, but I love Dave. Eli handed him the bat that I didn't know he still had.

"Go crazy."

"That would be pointless now. Hey Clare?" Asks Dave.

"Yes?"

"What do we do now?"

"Fuck up his house." I took the knife out and let the blade glide over the kitchen curtains. Got to love a sharp knife. Dave looked at me with a shocked look on her face. "I'm leaving a message behind." I'm not crazy. No, I'm angry. This will be with Alli for the rest of her life. What happens when she falls in love and she can't have a healthy sex life? If I weren't afraid of getting an STD, I'd cut his balls of myself. After a little bit of solo destruction, Eli and Dave joined in.

I found his little laundry room and looked around. Bleach. Tons of Bleach. The idiot bastard is a clean freak? Perfect. I took one of the large, white jugs and made a trail to the living room. The liquid made a large, unsightly white line on his nice, soft carpet. Then, I took it upstairs, a long, white line marking my path.

I poured bleach all over his bed, and I used the last of it on his clothes. Then, I repeated my actions until most of the bleach was used and most of the carpet was marred with white lacerations.

"Having fun?" Asked Eli. I laughed in response. I plunged the knife into one of the stupid little throw pillows he kept on his couch and made a rip down the middle. I picked it up, and gave Eli a playful wallop. Little white feathers flew all over the place. "Two can play this game."

Eli ripped his own pillows and hit me back. (Albeit very gently, as if he thought I was breakable.) I pushed Eli as hard as I could. He took a step back. Eli picked me up and threw me on the soft, still untouched couch. His handsome self started to lean over me. Closer, closer, just a little closer. I reached up and ran my fingers through his soft hair. Eli tilted his head to kiss me and . . .

"Hey, if you guys are going to do this, can't you wait until I cut up the couch? It looks expensive." Dave (stupid fucking Dave) looked giddy and happy. I'm not the kind to really judge most people, but I think Dave is a dumbass.

"How 'bout we just go away." I said, standing up and dragging Eli by his collar. We went out of the living room, and straight out the door. Johnny is a smart boy, he won't call the cops. If he calls, Alli will tell them all about what he did. He's not a minor anymore, so he'll go straight to jail. Eli, Dave and I will just get a firm talking to and a few months of probation and some anger management. Dave and I have clear records, and I don't know about Eli, but if he still lives with his own parents, he must not be on his last leg.

We lean against the wall and Eli kisses me. Perfect.

**It's over! I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful signed reviews**

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**2012**

** (I'm assuming you left the unsigned review too.)**

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I would also like to thank everyone for the wonderful _unsigned _reviews.

I3ElareCeli (I think his eyes are green too, or at least Hazel.)

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I really wish that .reviwers had left signed reviews, to both Perfect, and Subaru, (of which I wrote both), made me smile. I don't think I'll ever delete them from my inbox.

To whoever left the unsigned review (under the title of 'Hello') Sorry, but I'm not going to stop. Your loss, I suppose.


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